Vesterflex, Topflex and Honestflex
January 1954. }} The Vesterflex is a Japanese 6×6 pseudo TLR, made in 1953–4 by Ginrei. The Topflex and Honestflex are name variants. Common features The camera is shaped as a TLR and is made of bakelite, with a metal back. Column in January 1954, p.215. It has a simple viewing hood, with no protection against back light. The film is advanced by a knob on the photographer's right. The L-shaped back is removable for film loading, and contains an uncovered red window. There is a hinged spool holder for the bottom film spool, eliminating the need for an external flange. The camera is fixed-focus and has meniscus lenses; the taking lens is an 80mm f/8 and the viewing lens has f/4.5 aperture. The film path is curved to compensate the lens aberrations. The Vesterflex The Vesterflex has strap lugs and a Vesterflex nameplate. The taking lens is marked H.C. VESTER and the viewing lens has G.R.C. VESTER VIEW LENS. The marking is visible on the picture in Takasaki, p.72 of no.49. There is a B'' and ''I speed selector (for Bulb and Instant), and the aperture selector also has two positions: 8'' and ''11. The shutter plate is inscribed G.R.C. between the two lenses and GINREI OPTICAL CO. under the taking lens. The Vesterflex was featured and advertised in the October 1953 issue of . , p.363. The advertisement was placed by the distributor Tachibana Shōkai. Advertisement reproduced in , p.138. It lists the camera for (case extra ¥750), over-enthusiastically saying that the Vesterflex was "the biggest conversation topic of the postwar years" (戦後最大の話題). The camera was also featured as a new product in the January 1954 issue of , reproduced below. The column inaccurately says that the Vesterflex was the first camera made by Ginrei. The camera was harshly criticized, for the fragile lightweight bakelite body, the single 1/25 shutter speed, the bad image quality at the corners, the dim viewfinder image or the absence of a red window cover. Even the novel film loading system was said to be inconvenient to use. All these comments certainly did little to improve the credibility of the camera among serious photographers. One modern source mentions a "Vestaflex II" released in 1954, this might be a typo for a "Vesterflex II", about which nothing else is known. Lewis, p.88. The Topflex The Topflex is similar to the Vesterflex but for the absence of strap lugs, the TOPFLEX nameplate, the TOP CAMERA Co. marking below the taking lens and the lens engravings: the lenses are engraved Kafu Seiko Co. Torhi Coated, with a serial number, which is perhaps a fake (see below). The camera is thus attributed to Top Camera Co., but it was probably made by Ginrei as well. Attribution to "Top Camera Co.": , item 4182. The Honestflex The Honestflex is similar to the Vesterflex and Topflex, except for the HONESTFLEX nameplate. The camera has no strap lugs. There is a film flange on the advance side, at the bottom, perhaps indicating that the film loading system was altered. Another film flange is visible on the other side, for the top spool. There is an aperture scale under the taking lens, going from 3.5 to 22, but the lens seems to have the same f/8 maximal aperture as the Vesterflex, and this scale is just a fake. There is also a scale of shutter speeds, with B, 25, 50, 100 positions, but this might be a fake too. The two lenses have the same markings: Kafu Seiko Co. Torhi Coated 80mm N°872728, with an identical serial number repeated on all the lenses. The marking is visible on the picture in Takasaki, p.67 of no.49. These markings are certainly the same as on the Topflex, and this is probably why the camera is attributed to Kafu Seiko Co. by ; , item 4150. however this company name was perhaps just another fake. Notes Bibliography Original documents * January 1954. "Shinseihin memo" (新製品, New products memo). Pp.214–5. Recent sources * Item 801. (See also the advertisement for item 521.) * Pp.82 and 88. * Items 4150 and 4182–3. * Takasaki Akio (高崎晶夫). "Kokusan 6×6cm-han nigan-refu A to Z" (国産6×6cm判二眼レフA to Z, Japanese 6×6cm TLR A to Z). Pp.64–73. Links In Japanese: * Honestflex in a page of the AJCC website (beware, the Jokeflex pictured at the side is a joke) * Vesterflex specs at Japan Family Camera Category: Japanese 6x6 pseudo TLR Category: Bakelite Category: V Topflex Honestflex